Searing Good Striploins on the Pellet Grill

For all the haters, who say you can't get a good sear on a pellet grill, put your reading glasses on, because I'm gonna share with you how.

Striploin Steaks 1.5in to 2in thick

2 tsp of olive oil

Sucklebusters Campfire Steak

Kinders Caramelized Onion Butter Seasoning

Fresh Cracked Pepper

For this particular cook, I found a whole half of a striploin at the local grocer, and decided to cut my own steaks out of it, this recipe can work will all steaks, just adjust cooking time, based on how thick your steaks are.

I didn't do much in the way of trimming once out of the cryovac, mostly trimmed any loose pieces and shaved off the silver skin, and any large chunks of fat. I then sliced some nice 2" steaks out, but I also leave a good fat cap on the sides of the steaks. I'll share a little trick I do when I cook them, I make small vertical slices along the fat cap, spaced about 1in apart down the length of the cap. This stops the fat from shrinking, and lifting the edges off the grill, kinda like a well worn shoe looks with the heel, and toe pointed upwards. ( Or maybe just my shoes)

Now that the steaks are trimmed apply the olive oil to the steaks, and lay the seasonings on, simply as salt, or as crazy as you can get, your choice. For this cook though, I used the Sucklebusters, and Kinders, but added some more fresh ground pepper, because if you are like my family, you gotta have that pepper!

While the steaks have a rest, start the grill and set the temp as high as it will go. Some people let their steaks come up to room temp before grilling, I personally don't, something about how I'm wired makes me not want to leave raw meat out for long periods of time, Your Call. Now here comes the difference with how I can achieve such a nice sear on steaks, and yes while the haters would say you need to buy extra kit to attain this, as far as I'm concerned a $115 GrillGrate beats buying a whole propane or charcoal grill just so you can sear meat. The GrillGrates conduct temperature very well, and actually give you a nice little boost on the heat, plus the thick surface area, to get those instagram worthy sear lines.

To accomplish those sear lines I like to picture a clock face, I place the meat down facing 10-4, then after a couple minutes I lift the steaks, and place them 8-4. Another couple minutes pass, and I flip the entire steak. Depending on your choice of doneness, I don't generally attempt 2 sides of sear lines, because I usually go medium rare, the steaks will often be over done if you try to get both sides of sear lines. Frankly sear lines are just for pretty pictures anyway, if you want the most flavour the maillard reaction provides, you would use a flat searing plate and grill the entire surface, but it doesn't look as good according to our media driven world. (Not to hype another product more, but you flip the GrillGrates and you have a nice flat searing surface for that very thing.)

SO after you have your desired sear, it comes time to pull the meat, and unlike many proteins, steaks can have quite a variance. Remember though the steaks will continue to rise in temp, even after you remove them from the grill, so if you are after that rare 120-125 degree range, pull them off around 118-119. (Medium rare is around 130, Medium is 140, annnnnd if you really wanna eat them this way, medium well 150, and well done boot leather is attained at 160+)

For an added bonus, which on this weeknight I wasn't in the mood to spend extra time doing, I sometimes take my small sauce warming skillet, add half a stick of butter, 2 cloves of garlic, some rosemary and thyme, and either melt them together or wrap the rosemary and thyme with string, and make a peasant basting brush, to brush the garlic butter on while the steaks cook. Break out the baked potatoes, sour cream, and ceasar salad, pour the little lady some merlot, and buckle up for love son! (Marklan's Note, if any wineo's see the ice, in the merlot, I like it COLD! WINE, BEER, MILK, WATER, RUM, WHISKY, ALL NEED TO HAVE ICE, AND BE COLD!)